Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-25
A FIGHT FOR A CHILD.


of Missouri river, and reached by an In
dian trail from Wolf Point, Montana.
Why it was reached originally by any
body is question the discussion of whlc,.
would project man into endless inquiry,
but somebody got there and the result
was the establishment of a fort, garrison
ed by magnificent army of fifteen
mounted policemen, over whom Maj. JAS.
Walsh, of much preserved fame, pres1des
with dignity and results.
For a long time things ran smoothly, as
they frequently do around post whose
people are not on particularly harsh war-
like terms with any other people, but one
ilI-starred day red party by the name
of Sitting Bull found his way into the
territory with some 5000 companions,
and climbing the sterile side of Wood
mountain, located himself and his disso-
Lutte associates at point about eighteen
miles from the post.
It is not difficult to arrive at the rea-
sons that induced this Sitting Bull to go
there, as the pages of frontier history
suggest the inference that he had exper-
fenced much trouble wherever else he
went, Anyway he settled down on the
side of the mountain, and In few days
the barren buttes and coulees fairly
bloomed with the buffalo skin lodges of
himself and his tribe. This man Sitting
Bull was in a measure circumscribed. On
the top of the mountain were the forces
of Maj. Walsh, small mum erically, but
weighing tons of influence, and prepared
to make him behave himself with some
respect to the preiudices of the people
around him. On the south multitude
of United States troops were making
prodigious arrangements to thumP him
dIsastrously should he appear within their
balliwick. On the east and west alone
were fields for the display of his prowess,
and taking advantage of pressing oppor-
tunities, he swashed around among the
buffalo with eminent satisfactory effect,
and his squaws fed we'll and the babies
slept well.
AS matter of course man of bust
ness must have market for mis- wares,
and Sitting Bull, who, having acquired
some property, should now be recognized
as Mr.. Bull, found a large quantity of
robes and skins on his hands. He could
eat the meat, but the hides and furs were
worthless to him save in the way of trade.
He dared not seek a mart at Poplar
River or Wolf Point, lest he be knocked
on the head by an indignant military,
and as there was no other outlet he was
in what might be cautiously termed a
hole. at this juncture uprose Edwin
Allen, formerly an officer in the police,
but 1ho had resigned his commission.
Fogf>eiDg Il liberal trade with this Mr..
BuI be straightway started store,
sto, IA Vt with bareback, sugar, tobacco,
bla NNnd trinkets, and entered upon
barter with the red skins. For long
time he did famously, exporting valuable
furs to the American side, the proceeds
of which enriched him amazingly. Find
ing themselves honestly dealt with, a
circumstance which provided them with
much entertainment for originality, the
savages patronized him literally, wealth
and Mr.. Allen found himself amassing rap
idly and growing up with the country at
an exhilarating pace. Fortune beamed
on him with both eyes; and the happy
redskins, who Ionged to clean him out,
desisted out of respect for the genteel
manner in which he accomplished the
square thing. At length it occurred to
Mr.. Allen that he ought tt ct married.
Years before he had left ye- aw-haired,
bright-eyed girl in Montreal, and now
that he had put himself in position to
assume responsibility with that color of
hair and class of optic, he made up his
speculative mind to take her unto him
self, and, leaving the store with a young
man whom the Indians affectionately
termed 1.-TWO Bellies" presumably from
the phenomenal area of his only one,
Mr.. Allen started on mis- 3,0O0-mile jour
ney in search of the Montreal lady. He
did not conceal much from her. Frankly
he told her that the best blood in Wood
mountain society (outside the post) was
red instead of blue, and she dutifully put
her hand in his and sang the German
songs he loved to hear, with chorus loud
and clear-perhaps that isn't quite SO.
Anyway, I've forgotten the rest of it.
Nevertheless, she agreed to go with him,
and so they were married. Not much
of prospect for a bride,' the average
city woman may say. Perhaps not, more
especially if you stop to consider that
she was the only white woman Cor would
be when she got there) within 500 or 600
miles of the mountain, for at that time
old man Bird was the agent at Poplar
River, and he had no wife, so the nearest
was at Fort Butord away down east at
the mouth of the Yellowstone.
After three weeks of pretty rough get
ting around she found herself comfort
ably located in the little log house on the
top of the mountain, with a squaw for a
maid, and 4 fine view of the country.
Cne san see long distance in that neigh
borhood. The sky is as clear as the aver
age city woman's complexion, ana Pinto
Horse butte, IS miles from the mountain,
looms up like an oystsr IN church
stew.
It's fine place to live if one can stand
it. A healthy, clear, bracing atmosphere;
days that commence at a. N and last
till 10 at night; blEzards that howl in the
winter like thirsty dog, and mosquitoes
all summer averaging 100000 to the
square inch. Maybe I'm mistaken.
Perhaps the pressure IS only 100000.
Anyway they're thick, and, moreover,
they bite.
In spite of all this she got there. The
troops were glad to see her, and the In
dams disguised their surprise and well
coined her with characteristic row in
her honor. "Two Bellies" had a good ac
count of the state of trade to offer. and
Mr.. Edwin Allen was consptcuonsIv
happy. The world for him was as BRIGHT
as new skillet, and he had only to push
onward and upward, tra-la la to get some